Open book All India Bar Examination on March 6

Over 2,000 law graduates from Bangalore are expected to appear for the first open book All India Bar Examination conducted by the Bar Council of India (BCI) on March 6.

Open book All India Bar Examination on March 6 Photograph: Google

Despite criticism from several state Bar Councils. Earlier, the exam was scheduled to be held on December 5, but was postponed following objections from some state Bar Councils forcing the Law Ministry to intervene. But, the BCI persevered and now the process to issue hall tickets has begun. Following a Supreme Court directive, the BCI wanted to focus on entry point and continuous assessment for those entering the legal profession. The open book test was considered a good step to begin with. A committee formed to examine the legal education system in India submitted a report stating that the quality of legal education was not uniform across the country.

Hence, the BCI decided to conduct an exam in 2010. The objective-type exam would be an open book test and advocates can carry any reading or study material into the examination centre. “The emphasis throughout is on assessing an advocate’s understanding of an area of law, rather than on the ability to memorise large texts or rules from different areas of law,” Chairman of Bar Council of India, Gopal Subramaniam said.

Though law graduates were busy preparing for the examination, most of them were clearly unhappy over it. “If the Bar Council has to conduct an examination, why make us give exams in the University,” Deepa K, a graduate from the State, asked. The State Bar Council too seem to support this view. “If the quality of law education is not consistent or does not meet a set standard, then new subjects should be introduced in the educational institutions.

Reforms should take place at the educational institution level. This is additional burden on the students,” Jayakumar S Patil, Chairman, Karnataka State Bar Council, said. Whatever the criticism, the exam now is scheduled on March 6 and over 22,000 students are set to write.